Facilities

The Outdoor Education Center (OEC) is a 67-acre Campus Recreation facility developed to provide outdoor programming and open recreation opportunities for the UNC community. It is a Campus Recreation facility which houses Carolina Adventures Expeditions and Challenge Course Programs and hosts the Get Real & Heel breast cancer recovery program.

Located just off Country Club Road, the OEC is an easy 10 minute walk from Woollen Gym or the Student Union. It features a premier 18-hole disc golf course, 3 sand volleyball courts, 8 tennis courts, a bouldering wall, a comprehensive high and low elements challenge course and our newly developed and ever expanding network of multi-use nature trails.

Directions

Click for a map with walking directions to the OEC.

Campus Recreation Facility Rental Request Form

To request a Challenge Course program, click here.

Multi-use Trails

Campus Recreation is proud to offer the newly developed and continually expanding multi-use trail system throughout the OEC property. More than two miles of these trails have already been developed with more miles yet to come. 

These trails are open to hiking, trail running, mountain biking and dog walking. A few segments of the trails include jumps and other features designed for advanced mountain bikers. All users should practice awareness of their surroundings, personal abilities and everyone’s safety. Use caution, good judgment and “ride-arounds” when appropriate. Some segments of the trails are one-directional in order to improve safety. Please follow the guidelines and signage. Click HERE to download a PDF version of our trail map. 

Thank you to Trail Science for building and expanding our trail system. Trail Science has been building trails in Chapel Hill and Carrboro for over two years out of love. Visit their Patreon page or website for weekly updates on when and where you can help them build beautiful trail.

Disc Golf Course

The UNC disc golf course is an 18 hole professional level disc golf course featuring a mix of open and wooded holes through the rolling piedmont hills.  The UNC Disc Golf team and a thriving disc golf community host the annual PDGA Tar Heel Open at this course, among many other local league events.  Players of all ages and skills are welcome to enjoy the newly redesigned course beautifully situated on campus at the Outdoor Education Center. The course is open for play from dawn to dusk and parking is available at the UNC General Administration lot at 910 Raleigh Rd. Please be aware of other park users, observe all facility rules and signage and obey any verbal cues from OEC Facilitators when the Challenge Course is active.

If you have any questions please call us at 919.843.4OEC

Hooker Fields

Located across from the main entrance of Carmichael Auditorium, Intramural Sports use these fields for flag football, soccer, softball, and kickball. Sport Clubs, such as ultimate frisbee, soccer, and rugby, use Hooker Fields for practice and games.

Karen Shelton Stadium

Serves as the primary practice and home game field for many of Carolina’s outdoor Sport Clubs teams.

South Campus Recreation Complex

This outdoor, multipurpose facility located across from the Dean E. Smith Center includes the following features:

• Three tennis courts & five pickleball courts
• Two basketball courts/inline hockey surface
• Three sand volleyball courts

North Campus Recreation Complex

The NCRC features six tennis courts, one of which has two full court basketball courts running cross-wise. Lights may be manually operated and a switch is located between courts 3 and 4.